US panel cuts foreign aid, military aid to Pakistan

A House of Representatives panel moved Wednesday to cut the foreign aid budget by some 9 percent, targeting economic aid and contributions to the United Nations and the World Bank.Despite the cuts, the legislation won bipartisan backing from the Appropriations foreign aid panel, although it is sure to draw a White House veto threat because its in line with a broader Republican spending plan that breaks faith with last years budget and debt pact with President Barack Obama.The panel maintains aid to Israel and Egypt at the administrations requests but denies $800 million that was requested for a special fund for training and equipping Pakistans military in counterinsurgency tactics. The move appears to reflect wariness on the part of lawmakers toward the government of Pakistan, which failed to find Osama bin Laden for years until the US military killed him a year ago.Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. accused Pakistan of harboring a fugitive and likened the US-Pakistan relationship to a bad marriage.It is a difficult relationship, said Rep. Kay Granger, the foreign aid measures lead author.